Surprise: Oakland among '45 Places to Go in 2012'

The New York Times released its "45 Places to Go in 2012" list on Friday and who should land in the No. 5 spot? Oakland.

Yes, as in San Francisco's neighbor.

The top four weren't exactly shockers: 1. Panama, with its canal and major development projects; 2. Helsinki, Finland, with its designation as World Design Capital for 2012; 3. Myanmar, with its cultural treasures and shift in politics; and 4. London, with its royal family and upcoming Olympics.

But Oakland as the fifth pick? Pretty surprising from a city becoming synonymous with the word "occupy."

The reason, according to writer Ingrid K. Williams, starts with the city's new restaurants and bars.

Here's Williams' take: "Tensions have cooled since violence erupted at the recent Occupy Oakland protests, but the city's revitalized night-life scene has continued to smolder.

"The historic Fox Theater reopened in 2009 and quickly cemented its status as one of the Bay Area's top music venues, drawing acts like Wilco and the Decemberists. Meanwhile, the city's ever more sophisticated restaurants are now being joined by upscale cocktail bars, turning once-gritty Oakland into an increasingly appealing place to be after dark. James Syhabout, the chef who earned Oakland its first (and only) Michelin star two years ago at Commis, followed up in May with the instant-hit Hawker Fare, a casual spot serving Asian street food. Big-name San Francisco chefs are now joining him. Daniel Patterson (of two-Michelin-star Coi) opened the restaurant Plum in late 2010 and an adjacent cocktail bar later, and another restaurant, called Haven, in the recently renovated Jack London Square last month."

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Oakland was the top U.S. destination picked and one of only four from the United States. The other three were San Diego at No. 14, Chattanooga, Tenn. at No. 25 and Tahoe at No. 30.